The shockwaves of a corporate crash are always keenly felt - but few failures have led to the kind of investigations Enron and its managers now face.

February opened with the publication of the company's own internal investigation into the crash.

William Powers, the academic who chaired the report, didn't pull any punches when he pinned the blame firmly on executives who had personally benefited from the partnerships to the tune of millions of dollars.

"There was a fundamental default of leadership and management," he said.

"We found a systematic and pervasive attempt by Enron's management to misrepresent the company's financial condition."

Congress continued hearings began in December as America and investors around the world demanded answers.